In the concrete housing industry it is common to build multi-unit apartments and homes in warmer environments. But current concrete construction techniques have made concrete built homes more difficult to market in colder areas. It is common practice to use rigid foam insulation to improve the thermal performance of concrete homes and apartments. In some cases the foam is added to the concrete wall after it is cast, but it is also common to use the foam as part of the form when the concrete is cast and to leave the foam in place after the concrete is cast. But current concrete construction techniques lead to homes and apartments that have substantial thermal leaks built in.
A number of variations have been tried to effectively insulate a concrete building for cold areas. These attempts have so far failed to result in a marketable system. Often the proposed solutions have not been practical or cost effective, producing a building system that either requires a premium price on the market, or a building that is in-efficient to operate, or that requires a major change in the concrete industry and its current construction techniques.
In addition to energy issues, the costs associated with building concrete housing have been somewhat higher then the comparable housing built from wood framing. The construction industry is very sensitive to price and the cost differential has limited the market for concrete housing.